To The Rhythm (On Hold)
by Chynee
Summary: She didn't know what she was looking for when she went to Konoha. All she knew was that she had to find it before she went home. In the dark depths of a club, could she have found what she'd been searching for?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I know that I haven't exactly completed my other story. But inspiration comes and goes… so here's _another_ story! Yay… This fic is going to be my first Naruto story ever. And I honestly think my writing style has changed a bit because of this story. Usually when I write I like to use complicated sentences but this time I think it's a bit simpler (which is probably why I've written so much so far). I haven't had a writer's block yet and that's a record for this aspiring-wanna-be-author. So please, read and review/criticize constructively. Sorry for the 'suckish' summary.

**Summary:** She didn't know what she was looking for when she went to Konoha. All she knew was that there was something missing in her life and she had to find it before she went back to Suna. In the dark depths of a club could she have found what she was looking for?

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><p>To The Rhythm<p>

By Chynee

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><p>'<em>Focus…It's just you and the music,'<em> she breathed silently to herself and ignored the eyes that watched her every move. But she was deathly still in her relaxed position.

She turned determined emerald eyes to the red-head near the wall and gave a curt nod.

The music began to play and Sakura felt her limbs come to life at the familiar tune and the steps she'd endlessly practiced flew back into her mind. She moved to the rhythm her ears picked up and the next thing she knew her body was mobile and executing moves. A twist to the right, a step back, a gentle roll of the hips, another twist… The rush that she felt amidst the dance she created was addicting. She felt, more than heard, the song come to an end. She stopped, straightened herself and bowed.

Scattered applause was heard and she gave a small smile. Eyeing all of her classmates, she held a green-eyed gaze with one in particular and thanked them all before taking her seat on the floor.

A man with pale skin and tattoos all over his face stood up amongst the small group, his hands still clapping. He stopped after a few seconds.

"Well-done Sakura-san! Your interpretation of the song was remarkable. I wish I had my videocam…"

The last part was slightly muttered and most of the group chuckled, putting an attractive blush on Sakura's cheeks.

"Okay class," the man continued, he was obviously the instructor of the small dance class. "For your assignment this week I want all of you to choreograph another dance. But this time you're free to choose any song you like. I'm interested in your taste of music."

Excited murmurs filled the dance room as everyone began to eagerly find out who was going to use which song.

Sakura's ears perked up at the announcement and she'd already come up with a list of songs she wanted to dance to.

"Alright, class dismissed!" the teacher announced after a few minutes. He walked over to Sakura and asked her to stay by.

After a few minutes the entire dance hall was empty, save for the three people left behind: Sakura, the instructor, and the red-haired man.

Grabbing a towel from the side Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow and stood in front of her instructor.

"You wanted to talk to me, Kankuro-san?" She inquired lightly, eyes still alight with the adrenaline from her performance. Sakura could feel a quiet presence behind her and she knew it was none other than her best friend, Gaara, who just happened to be the brother of Kankuro.

Kankuro sighed, a towel of his own in his hand. "Yes Sakura. It's about your performance."

Sakura's brows furrowed. Was there something wrong with her dance? She voiced her concern.

"Technically, no. Your moves were perfect, you were graceful and the flow was never interrupted. But it's just lacking something…"

"What? What was lacking?"

"Emotion," Kankuro said quietly and watched her facial expression. When he saw confusion cloud her features and immediately put his hands up. "Not that there wasn't _any_ emotion, there was just one emotion missing."

Shocked that there was actually nothing wrong with her dance, but _missing_ had Sakura's mind reeling in search of the missing emotion. She'd made sure that her emotions showed throughout her entire dance. Kankuro had practically drilled it into their minds that emotion was a fundamental element when it came to dancing and that it was practically the basis of many things in life. Sakura was known to be an emotional person and she often showed it, but to be told that there was an emotion _lacking_ really surprised her. She was at a loss for words.

"W-what…emotion?" She managed to squeak.

Kankuro smirked. "You'll have to find out for yourself. You just need to experience life more."

After a few minutes of chatting with his brother, Kankuro left the dance hall, asking Gaara to lock up when they left. He'd said 'goodbye' to Sakura but his farewell fell on deaf ears.

* * *

><p>"<em>Lacking<em>? What could he be talking about? If he wasn't such an esteemed and well-known dancer I would've punched Kankuro until his entire face was purple! Sorry Gaara. No offense, really," Sakura apologized as she and Gaara walked out of the vicinity of the dance hall.

"None taken," Gaara assured in his deep voice and looked up at the stars in the night sky. Hands in his pockets and Sakura's duffel bag slung around his tall frame made him look like he came from the gym.

"I just don't get it. What was I missing?" Sakura murmured.

"You'll find out someday."

She whipped her head to face his so fast that her unusual shoulder length pink locks rose and fell in the momentum.

"Do you know what he was talking about Gaara?"

Feeling an interrogation coming Gaara decided to play safe and shrug. Of course he knew what his brother meant but that didn't mean he was going to just tell Sakura. She had to find out on her own. It was a lesson that everyone had to go through in life.

Sakura sighed. "I guess I'll never know until I live life more."

The two kept up a comfortable conversation, Sakura doing most of the talking with Gaara inserting wise words now and then. They walked all the way to apartment complexes located in one part of the city. It was a refreshing walk, in Sakura's case. She enjoyed walking and talking with Gaara. They'd been best friends for as long as Sakura could remember so the words of their conversation flowed out naturally.

They eventually reached Sakura's apartment and she reached for her keys in her pocket. When she finally opened her door and walked in she heaved a big sigh.

Gaara followed her inside and closed the front door behind him. He removed the duffel bag from his shoulders and set it on the ground near the living room couch before heading back near the front door.

Sakura, who was now in the center of her living room doing cool down exercises saw that Gaara wouldn't be staying for long.

"You're going home already?"

"Yeah. You have work tomorrow and it wouldn't be wise to keep you up."

He spoke sense and Sakura couldn't help but nod. Working twelve hours at the hospital wasn't exactly what Sakura called fun, but work was fulfilling in its own special way.

"Alright then. Thanks again for walking me back home. I have to get my car fixed soon. You never know when I'm going to need that useless piece of junk again."

Gaara couldn't help but smirk as she labeled modern technology as useless. He took a step in the direction of the front door and watched her as she walked to him. She tiptoed and placed a light kiss on the left corner of his forehead, where he'd tattooed the word 'love' in kanji in red ink. It was painful to remember why he'd had it tattooed there but his memory was full of Sakura always there with him, feeling as much pain as he did at that time. She'd always been there and he knew that if anything unfortunate were to happen to her he'd be devastated.

"Give my regards to Temari. Tell her we have to go out sometime," Sakura whispered before returning back to her regular height – her head not even reaching past his nose. "And get some sleep. Those bags around your eyes are huge."

Gaara nodded.

"'Night Sakura," he whispered before placing a kiss on her cheek and heading to the front door. He exited silently and closed the front door behind him.

Sakura turned around after he left and placed her hands on her hips with an exasperated sigh. She looked around her apartment and felt the fingers of fatigue pulling her down into darkness.

"Well, time for bed," she said to no one in particular and headed to her bedroom for a good night's rest.

* * *

><p>"Michi-san you have to stay in bed. Moving around too much is just going to open up the incision and it hasn't completely healed yet. Please stay in bed until the doctor sees fit that you can move around again," Sakura pleaded.<p>

Michi-san had just gone through an intricate operation involving the removal of a gallbladder stone. It was stressful on Sakura's part since her patient found it impossible to sit still, just as Sakura found it impossible trying to tell her patient to stay put. Michi eventually gave up on moving when Sakura pondered aloud the use of restraints. Sakura wasn't going to use it but it was useful in calming down Michi.

Thankfully Sakura's twelve hour shift was up and she could go home. As she passed by the nurse's station Sakura noticed that the chief nurse – Aimee was her name – was giving her a speculative look. Somewhat bothered by the intense observation, Sakura decided to confront Aimee.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Aimee-san?"

Aimee was quiet for a few seconds.

"Have you ever been to Konoha, Sakura-san?" she asked suddenly.

The question was like a lightning bolt out of the blue and Sakura was struck speechless for a second before recovering quickly. She shook her head. Truth be told, Sakura had never been to any other city, or country, except for Suna in the Country of Sand. It was her birthplace, her home. It was the city where she planned on working, staying, getting married and getting old at. Her life was never involved in affairs outside of her hometown…correction, city.

"Would you like to go?" Aimee asked.

Another pause. It was a good question and Sakura didn't know how to answer.

"W-why would I go to Konoha? I don't know anybody there," she spoke at last.

Aimee sighed and began to explain the situation. The director of nursing services of the hospital had recently agreed to send one of their seasoned nurses to Konoha to have a first-hand experience on the latest equipment that standard hospitals used. It was the hope of Suna's hospital that they would also be able to acquire new technology to help out with the patients. The DNS had apparently asked Aimee to go but there were certain circumstances that wouldn't allow Aimee to go. So now she was searching for anyone to go in her stead.

"So, would it be alright with you if you went instead?" Aimee asked anxiously.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry about your salary. They assured me that it would still be the same."

"How long would I have to be there, exactly?" Sakura asked, still unsure whether to accept the offer or not. She was definitely interested. She'd heard wonderful things about Konoha from her coworkers and she would like to see it for herself.

"…about six months."

Sakura could feel the beginnings of a negative answer forming on her lips when she realized that the exchange was going to be for more or less 6 months. Or 180 days. Or 4,320 hours. _Six_ months away from her comfort zone, her home.

"I'm so-," she began.

"_You just need to experience life more."_

Kankuro's words rang like a clear bell in Sakura's mind. It was only then that she was able to see that an opportunity was revealing itself to Sakura in the form of work.

"Only for six months, right?"

Aimee nodded.

Sakura smiled. "I'd love to help."

* * *

><p>A few days later Sakura found herself at the gates of Suna in her broken car. It was 4 AM but the drive to Konoha was long and tedious. Getting out of the Country of Sand took at least eight hours of non-stop driving. From the border between the Country of Sand and Fire it took another eight hours until one would reach Konoha. She highly doubted Bulldog, her broken contraption of a car, could handle 16 hours of non-stop driving.<p>

"Where is that man? He knows that I have to leave soon," Sakura muttered and looked out into the darkness for Gaara. He'd told her to wait at the gates before she embarked on her trip.

She could still remember his reaction when she'd broken the news to him. They were walking home from the hospital. He'd skipped a step and his eyes had widened slightly. It wasn't a grand reaction but Sakura knew that he was shocked. But despite this he claimed that he was happy for Sakura and that the change would be good for her.

Kankuro's reaction was a lazy smile. She had to let Kankuro know not only because of the dance classes, but because he was also her friend and he deserved to know.

"I hope you enjoy yourself, Sakura-san. And I hope you'll find what you're missing," he'd said with that same lazy smile.

She would've said goodbye to Temari but she was out on a business trip and wouldn't be back for another week or so. Sakura wrote a letter and addressed it to her blonde friend before instructing Gaara to give it to his sister. She could've asked Kankuro but she highly doubted that he'd remember, what with all the papers stacked up on his desk. The small envelope was going to get lost, no doubt.

"Ugh," she growled and leaned her head back onto the headrest. It was already 4:15 and no sign of her best friend. If Gaara didn't hurry she was going to leave.

"Gaara!" she snapped angrily. A tentative knock on her window blew all thoughts of fury out of her mind. She looked out her window but realized that it was pointless to try since it was pitch-black outside.

Rolling down her window an inch, Sakura managed to control her scared voice into saying, "Who are you?"

"Who else?" The familiar voice sent a wave of relief through Sakura and she glared into the darkness.

"Oh, I don't know, a freak psychopath who preys on innocent people at… 4:15 in the morning! Gaara, do you know how late it is?" She growled and opened her door slowly so that she wouldn't hit him. Once outside Sakura could already see the sky brightening. She turned her attention back to Gaara.

"My keys were misplaced," he explained.

To Sakura his explanation was more of an apology. She flashed him a smile. He was already forgiven.

"Don't worry about it. Bulldog and I don't mind."

"You're not taking Bulldog," he stated calmly. "He's going to die if you do."

"What are you talking about? Bulldog is obviously in tip-top condition."

"And you're obviously in denial," Gaara quipped, not missing a beat in their conversation. "I'm not letting you drive all the way to Konoha with Bulldog."

A small frown tugged at Sakura's lips. "Then what are you suggesting I do, Gaara? _Fly_ to Konoha? You and I both know that a plane is out of the question. If I don't drive Bulldog – "

"Take my car."

"- then what am I going to drive?" She paused. "Wait, what?"

"I said, 'Take my car.'"

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I thought your car was in the shop. There's no way you have it with you now."

Gaara angled his body a bit to let Sakura catch a glimpse of what was behind him. She gasped at the silhouette of his prized red sports car. Her eyes widened until they were the size of small saucers.

"G-Gaara… I can't. It's your car. I can't keep it with me for six months. That's just too long."

"Yo're taking it," he said with a tone of finality lacing his words. He silenced Sakura's protest with a hiss.

"B-but – "

"You're not going to die if you use my car."

"What if I get into an accident?"

"Are you _planning_ on getting into an accident?" He bit out.

"…no."

"Then take my car. It's faster and it won't break down in the middle of the highway."

"You won't mind lending it to me for six months?" she asked after a minute of uncertainty.

"No."

Sakura beamed. "Alright then! Let me just move my suitcases."

A few minutes later Sakura was in the driver's seat, her seatbelt buckled and her things arranged in the back. The driver's window was rolled all the way down and she peered up at Gaara's face.

"Thank you so much Gaara!"

He ignored her statement of gratitude.

"You remember what I taught about shifting? Gradually release the accelerator and slowly step on the clutch then – "

"Shift and accelerate while releasing the clutch. Don't worry Gaara," she reassured. I'm not going to kill your engine."

"You murdered Bulldog's," he muttered.

"You said something?"

"No," he sighed and bent down to her level, both hands on the door. "Just drive safe."

Sakura smiled. "Of course. I learned from the best. Take care of Bulldog for me, would you?"

He smirked and placed a chaste kiss at the corner of her lips. Standing up quickly, he ignored Sakura's expression and tapped the roof of the car twice. "Off you go."

Not trusting her voice Sakura only nodded and drove away slowly, stopping at the gate to go through inspection. When finally through the gates and on the open highway she let go of the breath she'd unconsciously held. His kiss lingered on her mind for hours.

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><p>Well, there you have it: the first chapter of my new fic. Please review and if you have any advice, I'd gladly accept it.<p>

Thanks guys! Amping (take care)….


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So…the last chapter was kind of disappointing. I know I'm not that great of a writer and my summary kind of sucks, but it hurts when you don't get a review within a span of 2 weeks. So it is with a heavy heart that I write this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

To The Rhythm

By Chynee

Chapter Two

"It's so…so…so -"

"_Different?"_

"- green."

Silence.

"_Isn't that a good thing?_"

Sakura shrugged, seeming to forget that she was having a phone conversation with Gaara.

"I- I guess…"

Sixteen hours later Sakura found herself parked at a gas station just past the gates of Konoha, standing near the pump and monitoring it. As soon as she'd arrived at the station something in the compartment began to ring and Sakura found herself staring at a brand new cell phone. When she checked the caller it turned out to be none other than Gaara, the true buyer of the phone no doubt.

"_It's Konoha, Sakura, not Suna. Konoha is well known for forests and mountains._"

Sakura's lips puckered to the side as she watched the rate for the gas she was paying for was steadily rising. Gas prices were definitely higher in green Konoha than in golden Suna. She had a feeling that there were other things in Konoha that were more expensive than in Suna.

"Yeah, this place should also be known for their outrageous gas prices. It's crazy!" Sakura pouted and put the gas nozzle back in its holster. She fished out her credit card to pay for the gas. "The next time you see me you probably won't recognize me."

"_Why?_"

She put her card into the machine.

"Because I'll be working myself to the bone trying to pay off for gas. Looks like your precious car will have to sit around like Bulldog for the next six months," Sakura sighed and snatched her card from the machine before it took it back.

"_Speaking of sitting around, where do you plan on staying?_"

Sakura went around and back into the driver's seat before shutting the door and turning the engine on. She buckled her seat belt with one hand and used that same hand to steer the car out of the gas station. She checked both sides of the road before crossing the street and following the signs that lead to the hospital.

"Uh, I have no idea actually. I didn't have that much time to plan out my 'vacation'."

"_I have a good friend there in Konoha. Remember Naruto?_"

The car stopped at a red light. Sakura bit her lower lip as she tried to remember who Naruto was.

"That loud mouth blonde you're always talking to on the phone? He's your friend? It seems like every time he calls you, you get annoyed."

Gaara ignored her last comment. "_He told me a few weeks ago that he's staying in a furnished apartment not far from the Konoha Hospital. You might want to try that place out. I looked it up online and the price isn't so bad._"

Sakura grinned. Trust Gaara to be the more responsible one when it came to things like this. Thanks to Gaara she'd finally gotten a decent apartment back in Suna. If it wasn't for his advice she would've been staying in a dingy, seedy neighborhood with seedier neighbors.

"Sounds like a good idea. I'll be sure to ask around once I'm done with the meeting at the hospital. It should be quick."

"_I'm giving him your number._"

The light turned green and Sakura drove down the street. She spotted the hospital a few seconds later and pulled into the parking lot. Thank goodness there were a bunch of spaces left.

"Sure," she replied absentmindedly as she parked into a space closer to the entrance of the hospital. "Hey Gaara, I have to go. I'm going to meet with the director now. I'll call you later."

"_Later,_" he stated and the line clicked.

Sakura sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt while turning the phone on silent mode. She was exhausted but she had a meeting to go to before she could search for a place to stay.

Sleep can wait.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_5 missed calls._

_10 new text messages._

She frowned and checked the number. The number was unrecognized and Sakura wondered who on earth would contact her when the only people that knew her number was Gaara and the director of the hospital, Tsunade. She recalled Gaara telling her that he was going to give her number to – what was his name again? – Naruto Uzumaki. Sure enough when Sakura checked the text messages she found one from Gaara saying that he already gave Naruto her number and that she should expect a phone call or a text message from the blonde. The rest of the messages were from Naruto, supposedly. She didn't feel up to reading each and every text to she decided to call Naruto. It wasn't too late to call, she hoped.

"_Hello Sakura-chan?_" a boyish voice answered. It was quiet in the background. He must be indoors at the moment.

Slightly taken aback by his sudden familiarity, Sakura didn't respond right away.

"_Hello?_"

"A-ah, yes, is this Uzumaki-san?" she asked politely.

"_Believe it! And please don't call me Uzumaki-san. It's so…boring._"

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This guy sounded like he was the absolute opposite of boring.

"Umm…"

"_Oh yeah! I'm supposed to be helping you find the apartments. You'll love it. Not a lot of people live here since the building is still fairly new. Are you at the hospital right now?_"

This guy sure was a bit familiar with her. He was a bit too…friendly? Oh well, it saved Sakura from trying to be the friendly one.

"Yeah. I'm in the car right now. Gaara told me that the place isn't so bad."

"_Yeah, it's kinda cheap too compared to other places. Kakashi-sensei is pretty awesome._"

Sakura had no idea how to respond to that. One, she was too tired to care, and two, she had no idea who 'Kakashi-sensei' was.

"I'd like to get there soon before it's too late," Sakura hinted and hoped he picked it up. Fortunately he did.

"_Right, right. Here's the address… It's the light orange building._"

A few minutes later Sakura drove out of the hospital parking lot and tried to locate the apartment building. Naruto had told her that the road she was looking for was two blocks down the right from the hospital exit. He'd also told her that 'Kakashi-sensei' usually slept late and that Sakura would definitely find a place to stay. Before they hung up he informed her that he'd wait outside just to make sure that she was sure she was at the right place. She had no idea how it'd work since the only thing she knew about Naruto was that he had blonde hair.

Not long afterwards Sakura turned at the right street and drove slowly so that she could spot the apartment building. It was night time so it was tough trying to find a light orange building but her headlights helped her a bit. She stopped at a particular stop sign and checked to see if anyone was coming before slowly easing off the brake and driving ahead.

Just as she was in the middle of the intersection a black car sped from out of nowhere and rushed straight at Sakura. To Sakura it was like she was watching in slow motion as certain death came at her, headlights uncaring and fast approaching. She could've sworn that she saw her life flash before her eyes and she opened her mouth to let out a scream. But just as the other car was about to hit her it suddenly turned and raced down the street that Sakura was going down herself.

She immediately stopped the car as soon as she was clear from the middle of the intersection. Her heart was pounding so fast that she thought it would bust out of her ribcage and the blood rushed back to her head, giving her head a heavy feeling. She let it rest against the steering wheel and heaved a heavy, stress-laden sigh. She almost died and she had a feeling that the bird-brain who almost crashed right into her wouldn't give her a second thought.

'_What a jerk! When I find out who that person is, they're going to get it!'_

Suddenly conscious of any other racers or thrill seekers out there, Sakura drove a bit more cautiously, making sure she to wait a bit longer at stop signs to make sure that another car wouldn't just plow through Gaara's car and her life.

Sakura eventually found the building Naruto had described. It was a light orange, indeed. The four-story building and the parking space was encompassed by wall that was painted the same color as the building. There was only one entrance and Sakura saw that there was a gate where a guard sat at his post. As she drove up to the gate the guard approached her. She rolled down her window and informed him that she was planning on staying at the apartment. Then as a second thought she asked the guard who the landlord was.

"Hatake Kakashi," he drawled. His eyes roamed over her face and Sakura slightly shook to dispel the feeling of disgust running down her spine.

"Thanks," she replied and sighed when the guard walked away and pressed a button so that the gate would open. As soon as it was open Sakura sped into the empty parking lot, not sparing the guard another glance.

It wasn't hard trying to find a parking space since it was empty. There were only five cars parked in the entire parking lot and Sakura smiled to herself, choosing a space closest to what looked like the office of the landlord. She got out of her car and practically felt her heart jump into her throat when she saw someone approaching her with a gait that was anything but friendly.

'_No! How much more must I go through? I almost died tonight only to be robbed outside my apartment? What kind of sick game is this?'_ she thought to herself drastically and hurried to jump back into the car. As soon as she was inside she locked the doors.

Then began the knocking.

At first it was a polite knock but then it progressed into an urgent kind of knock. After a while there was a voice outside. She didn't understand a word they were saying especially since she was trying her best to ignore the person outside. Hopefully he'd go away…

_Ring…ring…ring…_

Sakura grabbed her phone and checked the number. It was Naruto. That's when she remembered that Naruto had told her that he'd wait outside. She answered.

"Uzumaki-san, is that you outside?"

"_Sakura-chan! Please get out of the car!_" he pleaded, as if he didn't hear her question.

She sighed, hung up, unlocked her door and stepped out of the car. Emerald eyes turned to glare at… a chest. She looked up and fixed her glare there, although it was less potent than before.

A wide grin was plastered on his whiskered face with a hand scratching his blonde locks.

"Nice to finally meet you Sakura-chan!" he greeted brightly and extended his free hand. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura shook his hand but continued to glare nonetheless. She wasn't angry anymore but she wanted to make him a bit uncomfortable for taking another five years off her total life span.

"S-so…what do you think of this place?" he asked nervously, no doubt unnerved by her silent treatment.

She didn't answer right away. She fixed another stare at him before opening her mouth.

"It's fine."

"Hehe, yeah…so, um, how about we go and meet Kakashi-sensei so that we – Sakura-chan, are you mad at me? You're staring at me really funny."

"That's just my face. Are you calling my face funny?"

Naruto's mouth gaped and took an uncertain step backward. "N-n-no! I was just…hehe…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, it's pretty late, huh? I'm just gonna go and check if Kakashi-sensei is still up!" he exclaimed and dashed to his refuge, the landlord's office.

A smile and a small giggle escaped Sakura's lips and she locked the car before following Naruto.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Here is your key."

Sakura opened her hand and received the key that the silver-haired man gave her. She and Naruto were sitting in Hatake Kakashi's barely decorated office. All he had was a desk, three chairs, a bookcase and one window. Sakura could barely call it an office since it didn't have that "professional" air to it, but he had a desk and everything…

"Thanks Hatake-san."

"Please, just Kakashi. Not Kakashi-sensei _or_ Kaka-sensei," a single onyx black orb gave Naruto a pointed look. "Or Hatake-san."

"Alright, Kakashi-san," Sakura replied lightly.

The man sighed and his eye crinkled. Sakura thought it strange that most of the facial features of this man were covered by a black mask and a single eye patch. It was like he was mummified, fashionably though. The only way Sakura could even determine whether he was smiling or not was through his eye, but even that didn't help since it remained crinkled all the time. She never thought she'd ever admit that a person's mouth helped in determining a person's emotions.

"Now Haruno-san – "

"Sakura, please."

"Yes, yes. Now Sakura-san please keep in mind that there are rules when it comes to living in these apartments."

Sakura blinked.

"Rule one: Garbage day is every Wednesday morning. Make sure you throw out all your trash in the dumpster in the parking lot before Wednesday."

She nodded.

"Rule two: do not disturb your neighbors. This includes excessive shouting in the hallways, having parties that do not include the entire building, and playing loud music. Anything that will cause people to visit me in this office with complaints is prohibited."

Sakura bit her lip and thought about the small stereo she had in the car. She couldn't really use it now. Sigh.

"Rule three: don't flirt with the guard. He was just released from prison for attempting rape a few years back."

Her jaw dropped at this. He _what_?

"W-wait. What is he doing here if he's like that?"

Kakashi's eyebrow rose.

"Why not? He does his job fine as long as the female tenants don't mind him."

"How many females live here?"

"Including you, one."

Sakura felt the blood drain from her face.

Naruto gently patted her shoulder. "Don't worry Sakura-chan. The men here in the apartments will protect you!"

That didn't make her feel any better at all.

"Thanks," she muttered cynically.

"Really, there's nothing to worry about. He doesn't leave his post during his shift and as long as you don't act interested he'll leave you alone," Naruto reassured.

This was starting to get on her nerves. Hell, _Konoha_ was getting on her nerves. First it's the gas, next were the crazy drivers and then the mysterious employers and their ex-rapist employees? Sakura didn't feel safe anymore.

"_Anyway_," Kakashi continued after a minute of silence. "Back to the rules. Rule three –"

"Four," Naruto and Sakura voiced at the same time.

"Right. Rule four: Close your windows and blinds at night, unless you like being the victim of voyeuristic peeping."

"_What?_" Sakura squeaked.

Kakashi suddenly stood up and his eye crinkled again, obviously sensing another uncomfortable conversation about to take place. Sakura noticed that all he wore was a pair of black jeans and a simple black t-shirt.

"That's all, Sakura-san. If you need anything, please don't bother me!" He said gaily and ushered the blonde and the rosette out of the office before slamming it in their faces.

The two young adults shared a look and shrugged before bursting out in laughter. When the bout of happiness died down Sakura suddenly felt the fatigue come back at her, seemingly ten times worse for she suddenly felt dizzy on her feet.

Naruto noticed and immediately stretched out a hand to hold her steady in case she collapsed.

"Let's get you into your apartment, Sakura-chan. You look beat."

"But my things…"

"We can do that tomorrow. Do you have to go to the hospital tomorrow?"

"No…"

"Alright. Let's head on up so we can put you to bed. The beds here are really nice. I tried them all."

Sakura didn't even bother trying to ask Naruto how he'd done that. Most of her attention was focused on trying to get to the stairs. She was grateful when her new friend steered her to an elevator. When they reached the third floor Naruto guided her out of the elevator and down the hall. At the fifth door he asked for Sakura's key before he opened the door and led her to the bedroom. As soon as she saw the bed she hurried over and collapsed on top of it. She heard Naruto huff good-naturedly.

"Your key is right next to your lamp. Goodnight Sakura-chan," he said and headed back to the front door.

"G'night Naruto," she slurred and drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_1 missed call._

_1 new text message._

Sakura stared at her phone and checked to see who the caller was. She gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I totally forgot to call Gaara back!" she stated and pressed the dial button before putting the phone to her ear.

It was past mid-morning when Sakura had woken up thanks to Naruto's boisterous behavior at her door. Whatever happened to the rules? After answering the door Sakura found herself being promptly pulled outside her apartment door. She yanked herself back in but Naruto insisted on helping her bring her things from the car and she demanded that she take a shower before doing anything productive. That's when Naruto pointed out that all of her clothes were in the car. So Sakura settled for fixing her bedraggled look before heading downstairs with Naruto to the car. It was only then that she was able to check her phone.

"_Hello?_" Came the Gaara's familiar voice. Sakura sighed and immediately felt home sick.

"Hey Gaara, I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you last night. I just couldn't stay awake any longer."

"_It's okay._"

She smiled. "Naruto and I are unpacking the things from the car. He's pretty friendly."

"_He's nosy._"

Sakura spared Naruto a speculative glance. He was at the trunk taking out her box of clothes as well as her box of lightweight medical books. The heavier ones were in the back seat of the car. She refocused on her conversation with Gaara.

"He's curious," Sakura defended lightly and giggled as Naruto tried to balance some of the boxes all at once. "So what are you up to?"

"…_getting ready._"

"Special occasion? With who?" She asked as she opened the passenger seat to take out a small box and place it on the floor.

"…_my father._"

"_What_? What does he want with you?" Sakura asked vehemently and very nearly dropped the box she was handling.

"_No idea. He just calls from out of nowhere and says he wants to talk with Kankuro, Temari and I._"

Sakura let out a 'tsk'. "Sounds like trouble to me."

Gaara's father was the Kazekage of Suna. Being Kazekage was similar to being the ruler of the entire country, therefore acquiring a lot of allies. And paparazzi. Gaara's father had taken up a lover when he was still married. Gaara was "the result of such a mistake" and was therefore put in an orphanage while his mother was sent to another country under the guise of being transferred due to her job. Kankuro and Temari, legitimate children of the Kazekage, had no clue that they had a younger half-brother up until a few years ago. When they found out that he was leading a difficult life due to their father's decision they immediately tried to help Gaara out.

Somehow Sakura was glad that Gaara had ended up being in the orphanage. She wasn't happy about his predicament, no way. But the orphanage was where the two of them had met and for that she was thankful. If they both hadn't been orphans then who knew where they'd be at the moment?

"_It can't be helped Sakura. We'll just talk and then leave._"

"I have a feeling that nothing is ever that simple when it comes to your father."

"Hey Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice cut in suddenly, shaking Sakura from her serious mood. "The boxes are all ready to be brought up."

"Thanks Naruto," she replied absently, missing Naruto's surprised look and turned back to the phone conversation. "Hey Gaara, I gotta go. I'll call you later, 'kay?"

"_Make sure you do._"

"Yeah, later," she answered and hung up. She turned to Naruto with a slight smile. "Thank you so much, Naruto! You don't know how much your help means to me."

Naruto was practically glowing with happiness. "Aww, it's nothing Sakura-chan…"

She put her phone in her pocket and went to pick up a few lightweight boxes. "Let's go before noon comes around. I'll treat you to lunch as a sign of my thanks."

He picked up most of the heavy boxes and trudged after Sakura, but his grin still remained on his face. "I know the perfect place! Do you like ramen, Sakura-chan? Let me tell you, ramen is the best. They have a ramen restaurant not far from here called _Ichiraku_ and they have the best ramen in all of Konoha. They have tons of customers – "

Sakura was only partly listening to Naruto, which was understandable since she was too busy trying to balance the boxes she was carrying. When there was a screech of tires at the entrance she couldn't help but look at who was driving in. Her mind sort of recognized the car that was just parking not far from a tree.

"Where have I seen that – oh my gosh! That's the car that almost killed me last night!"

"- then they have the beef flavored ramen with chunks of... What did you say Sakura-chan?"

Sakura whirled around and fixed a fierce look on her companion. "The driver of the car that just parked over there almost ran me over last night while I was trying to find this place. What a jerk! Here Naruto, watch my stuff. I'm gonna go over there and give that driver a piece of my mind!"

Naruto took one look at the car and his eyes shrunk fractionally. "Sakura-chan, that's not a good idea."

"Why the hell not?"

"Just don't."

Sakura wanted to scream. She wanted to let the driver know how much of her life was scared off into nonexistence because of the little stunt they'd pulled last night. It's not funny when someone's life is at stake, especially when the car they were driving didn't belong to them.

She huffed haughtily and marched away from Gaara's car in the direction of the elevator. "Whatever."

Naruto was right behind her, still carrying the boxes.

The sound of two car doors being shut caught Sakura's attention and she looked in the direction of the black car cooling down under the shade of the tree. From it emerged two individuals, one male and one female. Sakura's eyes automatically focused on who was coming out of the driver's seat and she nearly regretted doing so.

The man was devastatingly, drop-dead drool-worthy from his spiky black locks to his pale skin and toned muscles to the masculine aura that seemed to ooze out of him.

But that wasn't what caught Sakura's eye, no, it was his eyes. They were dark but held so much intensity and passion in them that Sakura knew that she'd melt if he even so much as spared her a ten-second glance. She knew it probably sounded corny when one would say that they fell for a certain person due to their eyes, but Sakura totally understood the feeling just then. His eyes gave off the impression that he'd given you his undivided attention and that no one else mattered.

And that gaze, at the moment, was directed at his female companion, a red-headed woman (slut seemed more like the appropriate word in Sakura's opinion) with a model figure and long legs. Her eyes were a peculiar color since they, too, were red. She walked like she owned the street and the male companion with her.

Sakura huffed again. They looked good together, a sexy man and a sexy woman, they were perfect. Even when they walked they looked good together, the red-head's height reaching his eyes.

She could suddenly feel the anger building up inside of her and it yearned to find an outlet lest she express her fury physically upon the man who dared to scare her. He may have been good-looking but that didn't mean that his character was beautiful as well. She knew a lot of people like that and she avoided those kinds of people at all costs. But this time trouble found her, scared her, and rubbed his good looks in her face while he escorted his companion into the building.

They were almost inside when Naruto opened his big mouth and screamed, "Oi teme!"

The brunette turned around and faced Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto walked past Sakura and walked until he came to his friend's side. Sakura followed at a slower pace, hoping to never meet the handsome man and his beautiful girl. No such luck, however, when you happen to be with Naruto.

"C'mon Sakura! How slow can you be?"

"How about we test out that theory, Naruto?"she retorted and purposefully began to walk slower. She didn't miss Naruto's exasperated look and the stranger's neutral one.

Naruto immediately put the boxes down, left his friend's side, ran behind Sakura and pushed her until she was standing in front of the man. He reeked of alcohol but he didn't stagger one bit, neither did his eyes wander around drunkenly.

The blonde reappeared right in between her and Sasuke, both men practically the same height.

"Sakura-chan, this is Uchiha Sasuke and his girlfriend Karin."

Sakura bowed slightly, despite the fact that she was shaking inside. "Haruno Sakura," she replied. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise," Karin responded smoothly and linked her arm with Sasuke's.

Sasuke fixed his intense gaze on her and gave Sakura a small nod before he turned back to Naruto.

"What do you want dobe?"

"Nothing, just wanted to introduce you to our new neighbor, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke sighed. "Is that all?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Then I'll be going up first. Take care, Haruno-san, dobe."

"Bye-bye!" Karin waved and followed Sasuke into the building.

Slightly put off by his antisocial behavior, Sakura let a frown settle upon her face. "What's his problem?"

Naruto heard her and turned to smile at her. "That's just how he is. He's pretty rough around the edges but he's not my best friend for nothing."

Sakura nearly choked on the air she was breathing. "Best friend? That jerk is your best friend?"

"Haha, yeah…"

Sakura was silent for the rest of the trip upstairs. She mulled over how Naruto and Sasuke were best friends. They were complete opposites. The only thing they seemed to have in common was their uncanny ability to scare her in the dark. But aside from that she couldn't imagine them being best friends. But she supposed that the consequences that led them to such a friendship were tough ones that only strengthened their relationship. Like the events that led to Gaara being her best friend.

Determined not to lose her cool when around Sasuke and Karin, Sakura sucked in a mouthful of air and exhaled. They were done bringing her stuff upstairs and it was almost lunch time so Sakura knocked on Naruto's door (he was her neighbor, miraculously) and told him that they were going to that restaurant he was so hyped up about. As soon as they were downstairs he steered her away from her car and, instead, led her to a car parked pretty close to Sakura's.

Sakura bit back a giggle when she saw the color of his car.

Bubblegum pink.

Like her hair.

"Naruto," she snickered. "This car suits me more than you. Why is your car pink?"

Said guy huffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I lost a bet," he said simply, opening the driver's seat before getting in and starting the engine. Obviously he was still sore about having a pink car.

"Ah," Sakura replied lamely and got into the passenger seat.

To say that Naruto was a crazy driver was an understatement. He was _suicidal_. He was worse than Sasuke, in Sakura's opinion. The blonde cut corners like they didn't exist, floored the accelerator when the traffic light was already _red_, and pulled a Sasuke at least five times (yes, she called her near-death experience a 'Sasuke'). She felt bad for the unsuspecting drivers and told Naruto to slow down. He was kind of scaring her anyway with the speed he was going at. She was surprised when no police cars came chasing after them.

They arrived at _Ichiraku_ in record time and raced inside, thanks to Naruto. Sakura's experience in the restaurant was a memorable one since Naruto practically wolfed down three bowls of beef ramen before she could even finish her single bowl of the same dish. When the bill came Sakura paid for it since it was her treat. When she saw the price she reminded herself to make sure that Naruto would only eat _one_ bowl of ramen instead of three. If this continued her wallet would definitely lose weight. Not long after eating they left the restaurant and stood outside for a few minutes for a breath of air.

"So, did you enjoy your lunch, Sakura-chan?"

She smiled wearily. "Yeah Naruto. But, um…next time I treat you could you eat just a little less?"

Naruto only laughed, obviously embarrassed and unashamed that he could eat so much. He then went to the car and opened the passenger seat for Sakura.

She gladly followed and crossed across the empty parking lot to get to Naruto's car. She was in the parking space just next to Naruto's car when the familiar sound of tires screeching caught her attention and she looked to her side just in time to see a black car heading straight for her.

"Not again," she whimpered.

**A/N:** So this chapter was a bit long, which hopefully is a good thing. Not much of a cliffy either… but please review and help me feel like this fanfic _isn't_ just a waste of time. Thanks guys.


	3. Chapter 3

**To The Rhythm**

By Chynee

"_Not again," she whimpered._

Sakura was not the type of person who scared easily, or so she thought. It would take more than just a bunch of spooky ghost stories or a fatal situation to scare her out of her wits. Even Gaara had a hard time trying to scare her now and then, usually ending with him indirectly calling her a jaded man-warrior. She didn't know what a jaded man-warrior was but she was quickly learning that when facing one Uchiha Sasuke, _anything_ was possible.

She found that her legs had effectively glued themselves to the road and that her body was held stiff by some invisible curse that rendered her motionless. She was pretty sure most of her vital organs had stopped functioning, like her liver, her lungs, her heart…oh wait, no, her heart was still working. And it was beating faster than usual. Well, at least it was still working, unlike her brain that seemed to be malfunctioning. The phrase 'Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap,' kept buzzing around Sakura head like an annoying bumblebee.

In the end all Sakura could do was shut her eyes and try to wish the world away. She heard the deafening screech of tires and she could already imagine the dull thud of a body – her body – as it was hit by the madman's vehicle.

She braced herself but all the bracing in the world could never prepare her for the sudden shove she received from the side. Her eyes snapped open as she fell to the ground and she could see everything as if in slow motion. The car was still heading in her direction, literally a foot away from her but she was falling fast to the side so the car wouldn't hit her directly. Her eyes swiveled to Naruto and she noted that his hands were held in front of him as if he'd shoved her. She heard another screech from the car and her world sped up again.

Her body hit the ground unceremoniously and she knew that she was safe. But she had landed on her ankle and elbow, trying to break her fall but only partially succeeding. Pain shot up her leg and arm and she winced. Her other arm tried to cradle the affected arm and she turned to the side to lessen her weight on the abused side. The pain from her elbow slowly ebbed away but her ankle was still hurting.

Naruto was at her side in a heartbeat.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay?" he screamed.

"Y-yeah," she groaned and tried to sit up.

Naruto helped her into a sitting position and once he saw that she was stable he stood up and stalked off to the driver's side of the car. Sakura could hear every word exchanged between the two best friends.

"What the hell were you thinking Sasuke? Didn't you see Sakura-chan in front of you?"

"Who?"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto repeated angrily. "What were you doing? You almost hit her!"

A pause.

"…I was testing out my brakes."

"_What?_"

Sakura's thoughts exactly. Being preoccupied while driving was a good excuse, having a blind side was a better excuse. But testing out one's brakes was a horrible excuse. It would've been fine if he'd said that his brakes needed fixing. But _testing_? Really? She could've been paralyzed because this insufferable man was testing his brakes? Bull!

If she wasn't on the floor with a possibly sprained ankle then she would've drop kicked that jerk all the way back to the apartment.

Sakura looked up back to Naruto's tense figure. He was glaring at Sasuke, who she couldn't see at the moment. Taken from their silence, Sakura guessed that they were having a sort of glaring contest. When Naruto's tense shoulders sagged she knew that Sasuke had won that round.

"Naruto," the baritone voice of the victor said. "You're being summoned to the Hokage's office."

"Geez teme," Naruto whined and scratched his head. His facial features expressing confusion at the formal words. "Can't you just say that they called?"

"Hn…"

The blonde held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'll go. But you have to take Sakura-chan to the hospital."

Said individual's eyes widened. It wasn't the fact that she had to go to the hospital that had her nervous and anxious. The idea that she'd be riding in Sasuke's car was an unpleasant thought since he'd nearly killed her twice. He could've sent her to the hospital that first time, the second time he could've put her in a coma…she vaguely wondered what was going to happen the third time around now that she was going to be inside that monstrous black sports car.

Her attention snapped back to the other two when Naruto shifted to the side and Sasuke's face appeared and observed her from his safe distance. She mustered her best glare but ended up directing it's beams of fury at his neck. She was gripping her arm even though her leg was in more pain.

"She looks fine to me."

"No she doesn't!" Naruto sputtered.

"There's nothing wrong with her," Sasuke said pointedly.

"Look at her face! There's obviously something wrong!"

"_Excuse me_! I'm right here you know," she piped in annoyance at being ignored. "Naruto, there's nothing wrong with my face and I have a sprained ankle."

Both men were silent for a moment and stared at Sakura, probably surprised that she'd dared to interrupt their quarrelling – ahem, conversation. Naruto was the first to recover.

"See? Now take her to the hospital so that I can go meet that old geezer before he blows his top," Naruto continued and leveled a determined look on Sasuke.

To her surprise Sasuke wasn't looking at Naruto. His dark eyes lingered on Sakura's ankles for a moment before they focused on her eyes, trying to see if she was telling the truth. She didn't like it when someone didn't believe her. Not one bit. And she absolutely loathed the quickening of her heart when his intense gaze reached her eyes.

"What?" she bit out and raised a suspicious eyebrow.

He remained silent. And then he glared at her.

He freakin' _glared_ at her.

And then walked back to the driver's seat.

Naruto was at her side again but immediately picked her up bridal style and went to the passenger's side of Sasuke's car. He couldn't have been able to open the door with his hands full, so Sakura was a bit surprised when the door was opened from the inside. The moment she was buckled into her seat Naruto crouched beside her and flashed Sakura a winning smile.

"You'll get used to him one day, Sakura-chan. He's a really good guy. You just don't know it yet."

"Like I'd want to," Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes.

Naruto didn't answer and stood up to close her door. He then rounded the car to Sasuke's side and exchanged a few words with the Uchiha.

Sakura didn't pay them much attention. She was too busy trying to breathe in slowly and take in her surroundings at the same time. His car had an amazing masculine scent that she found she liked. She was looking around his clean car trying to identify the source of the smell but her search was in vain. The front of his car was practically empty save for the car mats that covered most of the floor. She peered into the back seat and noticed that there was a single black long-sleeved shirt that looked like it was thrown there.

Her attention returned to the front when she had the itching feeling to look at the compartment in front of her. A hand went up to open the compartment but immediately went down when Sasuke shut his door. From the corner of her eye she saw that Sasuke was casting her sidelong glance. She remained quiet and kept her hands to herself. She noticed him open his mouth as if to say something but he was interrupted when Naruto knocked on his window and waved a friendly goodbye.

"Don't touch anything," the taciturn man commanded once Naruto got inside his own car.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sakura said airily and turned her head to the window to avoid the glare she knew he sent her way.

Sasuke turned the key in the ignition and in seconds he began to rev the engine. Once Naruto swerved out of the parking lot Sasuke shifted into first gear and backed out of the parking space and drove in the opposite direction Naruto went.

Although the ride to the hospital involved less broken traffic laws it didn't necessarily mean that it was any less life-threatening. Just because he slowed down when the traffic lights turned yellow couldn't overrule the fact that he was already past the intersection the instant the lights turned green. He drove smoothly but at the same time he nearly scraped the car he cut off. Sakura suddenly felt bad for the car. To have an owner like the one driving was so…so…scary…

They were parked in front of the familiar hospital in minutes and Sakura took a minute more to slow down her elevated breath rate and her incredibly fast heartbeat. Her efforts proved to be useless. It sped up again once he appeared by the passenger door and carried her in a hold much like the hold Naruto had her in a few minutes ago. Once inside the hospital Sasuke ignored the receptionist and strode into the emergency room where he knew they would provide her a wheelchair before she could be inspected by a doctor.

It didn't take long for Sakura to be examined by a doctor. To be specific: Tsunade. The busty blonde DNS of the hospital fixed Sakura a look that said, "What did you do?"

Sakura could only smile sheepishly even though she wanted to snap and blabber about how she'd almost lost her life twice.

"Just a bit of a klutz I guess, Tsunade-sama," she answered breathlessly and refrained from shooting Sasuke a murderous glance when he snorted from his position near the door.

He, on the other hand, closed his eyes and tilted his head back, giving off the impression of peace.

"It's nothing to be too scared over," Tsunade diagnosed. "Should be healed in a few days, a week at most. I'm surprised you're here Haruno-san. You could've handled a sprained ankle on your own."

"Yeah, well, some people beg to differ," Sakura said sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

Tsunade raised a delicate eyebrow at Sakura and motioned her head in the direction of Sasuke. Sakura just shrugged.

"If you decide that the pain is too much to bear just take an ibuprofen but other than that you're fine. Now," Tsunade scribbled her prescription on a small pad and ripped out the sheet before handing it to Sakura. She looked Sakura in the eye and asked, "Crutch or cast?"

"Crutch," the patient answered instantly without missing a beat.

When Sakura finally received her new extended appendage she hobbled out of the hospital with a grateful 'thanks' to Tsunade and without a single word to her silent escort. Her pent up anger wanted to explode but she knew it wasn't the right time or place for such a thing. Losing your temper in the middle of a parking lot with a sprained ankle was not a good idea especially when hazardous drivers like Sasuke and Naruto tore through the streets as if they were running from something evil. Probably each other. Ha!

It was while she staggered along with thoughts of how she was going to have to cope with a sprain for a week that she experienced her third Sasuke.

The two of them were calmly walking to Sasuke's car when he began to reach for his car keys and lagged a bit behind Sakura in doing so. Sakura didn't mind this since she knew she was slower than Sasuke when walking at the moment. Looking up ahead she saw a white luxury car speeding their way so she moved to the side where Sasuke was supposed to be and continued to limp along. But of course her inconsiderately rude companion just decided that she was too slow for him and plowed ahead, effectively shoving her to the side. And since her balance was impaired she had no choice but to yelp and try and rebalance her body.

When she finally regained her bearings she found that she was standing in the middle of the road. Her eyes widened when she realized this and she looked up to see the car coming at her. Her heart sped up in fear and anxious anticipation for the second time that day. And just like those other times she froze and her breath stopped.

But unlike those other times the car stopped. The bumper of the car was a foot away from the crippled woman when it suddenly halted. Sakura watched with constricted pupils as the door to the driver's seat opened and out stepped a pale man with even paler eyes and long dark chocolate brown hair tied near the tips. His face, although pale like the rest of his exposed body parts, had a subtly strong look which saved him from being too feminine-looking. He wore black slacks and a white long sleeved dress shirt with a loose black tie under the collar. He approached Sakura quickly and Sakura noted in the back of her mind that he was about as tall as Naruto. When he was close enough Sakura unconsciously sniffed and she felt her blood rush through her veins. He smelled _divine_.

"Are you okay, Miss?" he asked, his voice laced with worry but his face showing just a small bit of concern.

Sakura's eyes were still wide with shock and her breath was still trying to regain the normal rate but she was able to manage a small nod.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He escorted her out of the way of his car, mindful of her injury.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sasuke turn fully to regard them.

This time Sakura smiled, albeit a weak one, and said, "I-I'm okay…"

He smirked. "You sound like my cousin when you stutter like that."

She laughed uncertainly. Was he complimenting her or what? Sakura wasn't sure whether or not sounding like one's cousin was a good thing or not. So just to be moderately safe, she laughed. But she soon found herself feeling a bit awkward in the sudden silence that followed. She didn't know what to say and she was worried that the things she would say would come out wrong and she'd embarrass herself in front of the handsome man. But one thing was obvious. Introductions had to be done.

"U-um…Haruno Sakura," she said shyly and slightly tipped her head since she couldn't really bow thanks to her crutch.

"Haruno Sakura…it matches you well. You can call me –"

"Leave, Hyuuga," a voice suddenly piped up next to Sakura and she jumped slightly at the abrupt intrusion. She looked to her side and noticed that it was Sasuke, although she didn't have to look to know the sound of his voice or his infamous rude behavior.

"What are you doing? He and I are having a conversation," Sakura defended and dished out a small glare at Sasuke which (she noticed) he didn't catch since he was too busy directing his own deadly set of eyes at the long-haired man.

Sasuke didn't say a word but continued to glare.

"My, my Uchiha…you treat me with such hostility and in front of such a beautiful woman…"

Sakura felt her face flush at the man's obvious compliment. She was flattered but she didn't dare utter a word. The cautious tension flowing between the two males was like a bomb waiting for the right moment to blow and she didn't want to be the one to set it off. It wasn't the right time anyway. Things were getting interesting.

"You heard what I said Hyuuga. Leave," Sasuke hissed. It didn't take a genius to know that he hated repeating himself. His hand was already clenched into a loose fist. One look at his eyes made Sakura shiver and for a moment she was glad that he wasn't directing his optical weapon at her otherwise she was sure she'd be trembling right now. The stranger in front of her right now sure had enough guts (or ignorance combined with copious amounts of bravery) to withstand the amount of hate Sasuke was sending.

Now she knew she didn't know Sasuke well. In fact she didn't really know him at all. But it was plain to see that there was strong hatred flowing in between the two of them. What could have made them like this, Sakura had no idea. But she was curiously anxious to know.

"Is there something wrong with talking to Hyuuga-san?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke cast her annoyed glare and she felt her anger flare up again. What's his problem?

His dark gaze flickered back to the other man.

"Have I done anything wrong?" said man queried.

"Your car," Sasuke started and paused.

"Yes?" The other man prompted.

"Is blocking the road," the Uchiha continued with an emphasis on each word.

True to his word Sakura noticed that there were a few cars lining up behind the white luxury car of the stranger. Some of the drivers did not appear to be very happy.

"So it seems. But then again we all wouldn't be in this predicament if you hadn't shoved her like that…"

There was another moment of silence, only interrupted by a car horn sounding not far away. The two men were busy glaring at each other and Sakura stood off a bit to the side, leaning a bit on her crutch, and watched the two of them. After a few minutes of intense staring the long-haired acquaintance of Sakura (as well as the seemingly arch-enemy of Sasuke) took a step back and bowed in Sakura's direction.

"I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time, Haruno-san…"

"Sakura, please," she interjected.

"Very well. As long as you call me Neji," he smiled and bowed. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

She smiled as well, liking the way his face changed a bit when he did. Before she knew it he was back in his car and driving away, the other cars seeming to follow his lead. When she looked to where Sasuke was she suddenly remember her pent up anger and felt the great urge to express herself.

"You," she growled and hobbled closer to Sasuke's rigid frame. "How could you do that?

"Hn."

She had no idea what 'hn' meant but she was sure he was just trying to pacify her as he tuned out of this world. She was in front of him already, close enough to be able to catch his scent. Her mood made her detest what she smelled.

"You know what you did! And Neji-san just confirmed it too! How could you just _shove_ me like that in front of a car? Are you blind or are you blind?" she asked furiously.

"Hn," was his next reply and he slowly turned to head back to his car. His reaction was only adding fuel to the flames.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Don't just turn away like that, you rude prick!" she bellowed and shoved his shoulder none too gently. But she immediately clamped up once he shot her another chilling glare that told her exactly what he thought of her behavior.

The feeling she had right then was a familiar one. It was one she hadn't felt in a long time. Something she didn't wish to ever feel again. When he looked at her like that she froze like a deer caught in headlights and she felt her chest constrict as her breaths shortened. Her skin would prickle and she suddenly felt more aware of herself and of her surroundings. Then there would be a tingle that would climb up her spine at a frighteningly blinding speed that made her stand up straight. The palms of her hands suddenly felt a bit moist and adrenaline ran rampant through her body, most concentrating on her legs in case she decided to run.

The look Sasuke had given her was anything but sensual. It was downright predatory and she didn't like the feeling at all. It scared the crap out of her. Then she realized what she had just admitted. She was scared of Sasuke.

She was _scared_ of Sasuke.

Her internalizing was cut off when he turned to face his car completely and stalked off to get in. She continued to watch him as he pulled out of his parking space, swerved dangerously, and pulled up right next to her. In front of her was the passenger seat's door. The message was clear and she didn't need to be told twice.

She clambered in and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"_Sakura…"_

"Gaara," she sniffled in response.

"_What happened?_" his voice was alarmed.

She wanted to tell him that she was scared of Sasuke but then that would only result with her returning to Suna, her job left unfinished. She couldn't accept something like that. So she hid the real reason of her tears.

"I sprained my ankle…"

"_How did that happen?"_

That was when she gave up and decided to tell Gaara everything (minus her true feelings regarding Sasuke), from what had happened at _Ichiraku_ and the hospital. Gaara stayed quiet throughout the entire episode. She finished with a sniffle.

"I hate Sasuke," she added.

"_I hate both of them,"_ Gaara snorted.

"Neji-san's not _that_ bad," Sakura sighed. "He may have an attitude and a bit of pride going on but other than that he's okay."

"_It doesn't change the fact that he almost hit you and escaped your anger by flirting with you._"

Sakura spluttered. Just because he complimented her didn't mean she wasn't mad at him! But when she reevaluated herself she found that she couldn't pin a grudge on Neji.

"S-so? It's nice having a person compliment you every now and then. There's nothing wrong with it."

"_Now you're just rationalizing."_

"No I'm not."

"_Denial,"_ he listed off easily, as if expecting her reaction.

"No I'm not!" she argued.

"_Anger. You exhibit some of the characteristics of denial Sakura."_

She kept quiet at this. Gaara spoke the honest truth 99% of the time. The 1% he'd usually keep from her for reasons of his own. But now that he was telling her that she was in denial, she knew there was no way it couldn't be true. But the question was, what was she denying? Could it be that she was brushing off Neji's slightly charming behavior or was she purposely ignoring something else? Could Gaara tell what she was really hiding? Was keeping the truth about her thoughts and feelings about Sasuke from Gaara a form of denial? If so, then she had a few issues that needed her immediate attention.

Her silence probably irked Gaara and he spoke with a twinge of sorry in his voice.

"_It's not like I'm telling you to dislike Hyuuga,"_

Sakura sighed. "I know. I was just thinking about what you said and I realized that you're right. I am in denial. I'm in denial more than you think."

Elaborating on this subject was going to be a bit uncomfortable so Sakura was relieved when Gaara didn't pursue the topic. Instead they talked about other things like Bulldog and if there were any major changes in Suna. There weren't and Sakura found herself trying to think of any interesting things to talk about. That's when she remembered the conversation she'd had with Gaara not long ago.

"So how did the meeting go?"

There was an uncomfortable pause from the other line. Sakura felt her heart quicken just a bit.

"_I can't tell you right now,"_

Surprised could've been the word that described Sakura's feelings at his sudden secrecy. What she felt was so painful that she was shocked into taciturnity. She guessed this was the 1% that Gaara kept from her. But he usually hid things that were unimportant. Having a conversation with a man who ruled over an entire country and all but abandoned you in an orphanage was an entirely different story, and Gaara didn't want to share? After the many trials they'd gone through just to be who they are today? Sakura thought the situation to be quite unfair, but her mind knew that it was normal. Family matters weren't always open for conversation to those who weren't related.

So she huffed, "Fine."

"_I promise I'll tell you another day. Just not now,"_ he promised.

"Oh sure. Take your time. But if I find out from Naruto before you even have the chance to tell me then I'm going to wring your neck with a metal wire and hang you from the tallest building here in Konoha," she threatened.

Gaara chuckled lightly. _"Very well._"

Hearing the sound of Gaara in a slightly good mood took her mind away from other pressing matters. Not long after, however, Gaara told her that he had to go and check on Kankuro. He instructed her to go to sleep, much to her protests. She acquiesced in the end and wished him a good night.

She slumped in the couch of her apartment and put down her cell phone. She closed her eyes and let her head lean back until it rested against the edge of the back of the couch, a bit troubled. Usually when they'd hang up Sakura would feel a bit better. But this time she couldn't understand why she was feeling tired and lethargic. That's when she remembered that she'd had more emotional trauma in one day than she usually had in an entire year.

Uchiha Sasuke…

He angered her yet scared her out of her mind. He made her want to scream and punch his pretty face but at the same time she couldn't find it in herself to do so. Especially after his mood when she'd gotten in the car after he gave her The Look. She'd felt terrible at that moment in time and she was determined to never feel that way again. As a result she decided to avoid Sasuke at all costs. In her eyes, it was the only way. Naruto would just have to respect her decision. And as for Gaara? She was positive that he'd back her choice any day thanks (well that's what she gathered from Gaara's reaction to the treatment she'd received from the _'spoiled royal prick'_).

Which led her to think about Neji. Gaara's reaction to Neji wasn't any better than his reaction to Sasuke. In fact, it seemed like he disliked Neji more than he did Sasuke, which was strange since he usually sided with Sakura on things…like hating her enemies. Sasuke was obviously the bad apple in the bunch and she wanted to get rid of him before he ruined the rest of her life, but Neji was pretty nice.

'_Oh gosh…If Gaara heard me,'_ she thought horridly. He'd go on about how she was rationalizing and was in denial. But she wasn't! Right?

That's when it hit her. Her fear for Sasuke and her leniency on Neji weren't the only things she was denying and she guessed Gaara already knew this and was waiting for her to find out on her own.

She liked Neji.

Okay, maybe the word 'liked' was a bit too strong. Fine. She was _attracted_ to Neji. What wasn't there to be attracted to anyway? He was tall, good-looking, had a better attitude than Princess Uchiha – oops – Sasuke. Not only that but he was smart and witty and more importantly, he made her feel comfortable. Well, he made her feel comfortable as far as strangers go. But compared to Sasuke's company she felt much better and less guarded.

She groaned in misery and got comfortable on the couch. It was too much effort to go over to the bedroom since she didn't want to bother with her crutch at the moment. Her sleepy mind was beginning to drift away into another world when her cell phone suddenly rang. After fumbling around for it for a bit she finally found it and answered immediately, not bothering to check who was calling.

"Hello…?" she croaked.

"_You're asleep already? It's only…10:30! Why aren't you out enjoying life?"_ a stern, womanly voice responded.

Sakura briefly wondered who her conversation-mate was and she finally took the initiative to check who was calling.

"Tsunade?"

"_Got that right, girly."_

"Is there something wrong?"

"_Well, your visit earlier had me thinking…it'd be too much trouble for you to go to the hospital for the seminar. I was thinking about sending a representative from Konoha to brief you on the seminar. They'd have to go to your place though, if that's all right with you."_

Mind still groggy with sleep and fatigue, Sakura took a moment to register the words Tsunade shoved into her ear and into her brain.

"Uhh…sure…?"

"_Great. They'll only be visiting you until your ankle heals."_

"'kay…"

Tsunade gave a light laugh at Sakura's condition.

"_Good night Sakura,"_ Tsunade said, expecting a 'good night' in return.

But the rosette had already lost consciousness.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

_She was back in Suna, her beloved home. The sun was setting ahead of her and disappearing behind the sand dunes when she felt a presence to her side. Surprise was written all over her face when she didn't find anyone standing next to her. Instead she was absorbed in a world of green and gone was the world of Suna. _

_The green place that engulfed her seemed to have a sort of physical effect on her. She felt calm and relaxed, as if she was receiving a massage. It blew all her troubles away and she felt herself close her eyes and smile. When she opened her eyes she noticed that there was black spot in the land of green. Her legs weren't moving but she found herself getting closer and closer to the black spot. When she was close enough she realized that it wasn't just a black spot. It was a black hole and it was pulling her in._

_Sakura took one look into the darkness of the black hole and she knew that it wasn't a safe place to be in, especially if it was drawing her in like a vacuum. She resisted the pull but her efforts were in vain and she was almost instantly surrounded by a cold darkness that chilled her to the bone. She rubbed her arms and looked around. It was pointless though since she couldn't see a thing. But she learned that like the green world, this darkness had a physical effect on her body. _

_She felt the hairs on her arms rise in caution and a prickling sense clambered up her spine. Her eyes darted about but to no avail she still couldn't find anything that would give her a sense of security in the dark world. _

_And then, as if a ray of hope had shone through, she saw a white silhouette not far in the distance. Sakura ran towards the white figure and when she reached it the world changed again and she was in a pristine white land. In this place she felt happy but strangely guarded. She still didn't know what she was facing. As assessed the area she found that it was much like the black world she'd just emerged from: she couldn't see anything but white._

_But to her uttermost horror the white world suddenly began to sprout eyes, different eyes in two different colors. One was a sick amber and the other was black, as black as the world she came from. The two sets of eyes were everywhere and they were all focused on her. An ominous feeling arose in Sakura's chest and she had the sudden urge to run. So she did and eventually the eyes around her drifted away but when she turned to look behind her she found two black silhouettes following her, each sporting a pair of one of the two eyes. They were chasing her and she found that they were gaining on her quite fast. The next thing she knew, she collapsed and fell to the floor._

_The two shadows immediately surrounded her and they both seized her throat in a four-hand hold. Sakura desperately tried to dislodge their hands but it was no use. They were too strong. Air, the much needed necessity in life, was not filling her lungs and she could already see the black dots filling her vision. _

_Her vision faded and she found herself back in the black world, but more importantly she could breathe. She was still on the floor gasping for breath, her eyes not really seeing. But she could see another figure white figure not far from where she lay. The entity approached her and when they were close enough they knelt down and gently stroked her cheek. She couldn't see their face but the emotions that filled her defeated frame rejuvenated her. All this from a simple touch?_

_Then the unexpected happened. The figure leaned forward a bit and sealed her mouth with a kiss. _

_Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped at the intense swell of happiness within her. The moment she gasped, however, the entity disappeared. The joyous and carefree feeling she had disappeared along with the white figure and she was left feeling desolate. _

_The black world then began to show stars. There were stars everywhere and she vaguely had the feeling of being in space. The stars held her attention for a few minutes before she noticed three flame-shaped things floating in front of her. They were the three colors of the three worlds she'd been to: green, black, and white. She gave them a curious look and approached them slowly. When they didn't move she mustered up the courage to touch one of them: the black one._

_As soon as her finger brushed against one of the black flames it zipped out of her reach and the three flames began to encircle her. They were, at first, at a safe distance and going at a relatively slow pace. But then they sped up and their distance close around her neck. When the three were just a blur they were already fast enough and close enough to suck out all the air from her. She felt herself choking and grasped her neck._

_The ominous feeling returned and she knew that there was no way out this time. She was heaving her last breath when…_

"Hey! Wake up!"

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she instinctively rose from the couch, head first. There was a dull _thud_ and a shot of pain spread through one side of her head. She instantly grasped her head and looked at the intruder who entered her house.

"Ow! What the hell do you think you're doing?" the woman shrieked.

The one who actually resided in the apartment didn't say a word, still trying to find out who this woman was. She couldn't see much except for her long blonde hair since she was gripping her head as well.

"Here I am trying to help you and what do I get? A freakin' headbutt!"

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

Slowly but surely, the woman looked up. Sky blue eyes looked down on Sakura and the intruder flashed Sakura a cocky smirk.

"Why, I'm your worst nightmare, Billboard-Brow."

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

**A/N:** Okay guys. That's the end of another chapter. What'd you think? I know that I haven't updated for about a month now but it can't be helped. I just finished moving into the dorm for my school and I've had a hard time adjusting. Luckily I have great roommates who encourage writing stories.

Enough about me. What'd you think of the chapter? This story is happening a bit slow right now, but I won't want it to go by too fast. Doing so wouldn't be very nice to the other characters of this story. And speaking of characters, I bet you all know who was the girl at got into Sakura's apartment. If you don't, then that makes this story much more fun.

Anyways, thank you all for the reviews! I realized that my behavior in the last chapter was a bit…childish and I'm sorry. You guys are right though, I shouldn't have to worry about reviews, although reviewing is very rewarding and makes me feel a bit more accomplished. Teehee…

So, please review! If you don't, that's okay. Put this story in your story alert instead, (giggle). But I much prefer it if you review.

Take care guys!


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